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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29381553">Clue and Cards</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/allislaughter/pseuds/allislaughter'>allislaughter</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fluffy February 2021 [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Card Games, Fluff, Fluffy February 2021, M/M, Other, POV Third Person, Present Tense, References to Clue | Cluedo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:06:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>971</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29381553</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/allislaughter/pseuds/allislaughter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick visits Vault "152" for game night, but someone's missing from the party...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nick Valentine &amp; Original Male Character(s), Nick Valentine/Original Male Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fluffy February 2021 [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138028</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Clue and Cards</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Day 12 of <a href="https://fluffyfebruary.tumblr.com/">Fluffy February</a>: Game night.</p>
<p>Like my fill for day 10, this story uses OCs from an original setting that I've just retrofit to put into a Fallout fic while the original setting is a WIP! This time, it's Team 152, living in an unfinished vault that they've made into a more suitable home and renumbered "152" instead of whatever its original number was. We'll find out more about them in future fics as well ;3c</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Are you sure you want to come by for game night?” Virgil asks for the fifth time on the trip from Diamond City to the vault he and his team have made home.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nick chuckles. “I told you already, I’d love to join you. Beats sitting around the office all night.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s just...” Virgil sighs. “Game nights get a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little</span>
  </em>
  <span> intense...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nick takes a hold of Virgil’s hand and gives it a comforting squeeze. “Look, as long as no one gets murdered, I can handle it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They head inside the vault and walk into the game room where Helen immediately dramatically falls against Nick’s chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, Detective, you’re just in time!” she gasps dramatically. “There’s been a </span>
  <em>
    <span>murder.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nick blinks and looks at Virgil who shrugs helplessly. Seated at the table, Shawn and Zack both laugh at Helen’s performance. Dotty rolls their eyes and finishes setting up the game board.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re playing Clue,” Dotty says. “I hope you don’t mind being Mrs. White. All the other characters are accounted for.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nick looks at Virgil. Virgil shrugs. Nick sighs and joins them at the table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No Gear tonight?” he asks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nah,” Shawn sighs. “He didn’t want to join. We told him we could play something that has seven players, but he insisted we have fun without him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s shy,” Virgil says.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mm-hmm,” Nick says. “So, it’s been a while. Remind me how to play this game?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One explanation of the rules later, they start the game. Nick learns all too quickly what Virgil meant by “intense” as everyone gets into their roles, especially as the accusations start flying and everyone has to defend their innocence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nick does his best to keep a straight face, but it’s hard to when “Mr. Green” and “Colonel Mustard” start throwing snack food at each other in their argument over which of them is the murderer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You two are making a mess!” Dotty interjects. “Out of character, I put effort into that food and you’re just </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasting</span>
  </em>
  <span> it!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shawn and Zack pause from their fight. “Whoops.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nick laughs. “Does this always happen on game night?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, for sure,” Helen winks. “You should see what happens when we play an </span>
  <em>
    <span>actual</span>
  </em>
  <span> hidden role game.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil shakes his head. “Nick, could you stop by the kitchen and get the spare tray of food. I had a feeling this would happen.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nick nods and sets down his cards. “By the way,” he says, picking up the envelope in the middle of the board. “Final accusation. It’s Miss Scarlet in the Conservatory with the Lead Pipe.” He checks the cards and then lays them out on the table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He exits as the others confirm his accusation. He chuckles at their cursing and shouts of “Helen, how could you?!” and Helen shouting back “And I’d do it again too!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nick finds his way to the kitchen and pauses in the doorway when he finds Gear sitting at the kitchen table with a bowl of his own snacks and a game of solitaire set up in front of him. Nick hums and sits across from him. “How are you doing, kid?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gear blinks up at him. “Oh— Uh— Hey, Mr. Valentine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can call me Nick,” Nick says.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gear grimaces. “I mean, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>could...”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yep. You definitely can...” Nick glances down at the cards. “Why didn’t you want to join us for game night tonight?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gear shakes his head. “It’s not important.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nick sighs. “Look, kid, I understand if you’re uncomfortable around me. It must be a big change, having me around dating your dad... And I know I don’t have the most attractive face out there—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re kidding, right?” Gear asks. “You’re handsome. And I don’t mind you dating Dad if it means he’s happy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nick frowns. “That so? Then why didn’t you want to join us...?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s nothing to do with you,” Gear promises. “I mean... It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>them,</span>
  </em>
  <span> honestly.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...Oh?” Nick smiles and leans in. “Is this gossip?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gear grins. “Oh, is it? Yeah, no, they just... They get loud. Not a fan of that. I rather play a quiet game by myself than be around them yelling and throwing food at each other. Speaking of, I assume Dad told you to get more snacks?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He did,” Nick says. “But I think that could wait. Where’d you get a full deck of cards in the wastelands?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gear grins. “Oh, I am </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> glad you asked. This is actually three different decks that all have the same backs that I spent the last several years searching for. I finally got enough to complete a full deck and then some.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nick hums. “What games do you know?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gear gives him a look. He silently gathers up all the cards and shuffles the deck. “Well, Mr. Valentine...” He splits the deck in half, doing a quick count to ensure it’s even, and then slides one of the two halves to Nick’s side of the table. “I believe this is </span>
  <em>
    <span>war.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Virgil slips away from the current round of Clue, that the others had insisted on starting without Nick and that has gotten far out of hand. Dotty at least is responsible enough to keep Helen from getting hurt, though it’d be nicer if their resident doctor would take things more seriously...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That said, he really needs to make sure Nick didn’t get lost somewhere in the vault. He makes his way to the kitchen, pausing as he hears laughter and shouts of “go fish!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil peeks in and spies his son at the table with Nick sitting across from him, the two of them playing cards together. Nick catches his eye and winks at him before returning to their game. Virgil smiles and silently picks up the tray of snacks to bring back to the others.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Good, he thinks to himself. His plan worked.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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